Tom Petty is more closely tied to the spirit of Americana than most. From his anthemic heartland sound to his resonant lyrics that captured the hearts and minds of the masses, he gained plaudits for many reasons, and was a real one until the very end.
A figure who wore his heart on his sleeve and was unafraid to delve into topics such as his childhood and politics, this honesty also applied to the music he loved. Whether it be icons such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, or more contemporary pioneers like Nirvana, from a young age Petty had his finger on the pulse, soaking it all in.
One group the Floridian legend was particularly effusive about was The Byrds, who, in their original, and most classic iteration, left a formative mark on him. They might be slightly overlooked today – and be one of the most cultishly celebrated by those in the know – but in the mid-1960s, the marriage of their otherworldly vocal harmonies and Roger McGuinn’s chiming 12-string Rickenbacker arpeggios were groundbreaking.
Across just two short years after forming in 1964, McGuinn, David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke laid the foundations for indie, adapted folk staples to soundtrack the shifting nature of the era, and pioneered acid rock on Fifth Dimension. While the original lineup would begin to fall apart after frontman Clark quit in early 1966, they would continue to be influential in their ensuing iterations, which at one point included the storied Gram Parsons, who helped renew their sound.
While The Byrds would find themselves refreshed on 1968’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo, the first to feature Parsons and a stunning marriage of psychedelia and country, for many longtime fans of the band, their original chapters are the most important. It says much about this era’s significance that everyone from Don Henley to R.E.M. are openly indebted to it.
Petty was another one who was explicit about what The Byrds meant to him and his career. Speaking to Rolling Stone, the Rickenbacker-toting guitarist revealed how they inspired him to “be in a band”. It’s simple, but majorly significant.
The ‘Refugee’ star said: “The original Byrds really changed the world in that short time they were together. They were LA’s whacked-out beatnik rock group. They’re part of what drew me to Los Angeles and made me want to be in a band”. He continued: “In the beginning, the original blueprint for The Heartbreakers – we wanted to be a mix of The Byrds and The Stones. We figured, ‘What could be cooler than that?’”.
Luckily for Petty, he would eventually become friends with McGuinn, who respected his work so much that in 1977 he covered The Heartbreakers’ ‘American Girl’. Then, for 1981’s Back From Rio, McGuinn enlisted Petty for ‘King of the Hill’, on which the heartland rocker provided co-lead and backing vocals. That’s not bad going.
